WHAT'S
THE
POINT?
On social and environmental issues.
by Fang-Jui Chang

CHAPTER 1
P.3
UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIOUR
WHICH AFFECT OUR SOCIETY
AND ENVIRONMENT
The taken for grantedness of
unconscious behaviour
CHAPTER 2
P.13
SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY
The things we don't want to talk
about in our lives

It is interesting to observe the things around us. Albert Einstein
once said, 'If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55
minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about
solutions.' That is, if you can find the problem, you are already
half way to solving it.

INTRODUCTION

'What's The Point?' is an ongoing, participatory, London and
Taipei based project which aims to reconsider our life in a
sense of the things that we take for granted by doing fieldwork,
discussing what effective/ineffective communication could be,
and thinking about how human behaviour affects our society
and environment. Using Design Thinking as an approach to
provide better solutions to social and environmental problems,
and rethink these issues around our lives by engaging and
empowering the general public. Everyone can be a facilitator in
making the world a better place.

UNCONSCIOUS
BEHAVIOUR
WHICH AFFECT
OUR SOCIETY AND
ENVIRONMENT

People tend to ignore the existence of air because
they take it for granted. There are many tiny behaviours
that people are not aware of but incrementally can be
hazardous to our society and environment.

UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIOUR WHICH AFFECT OUR SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT

The Taken for Grantedness of
Unconscious Behaviour

04

ABOUT

UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIOUR WHICH AFFECT OUR SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
WASTE

05

WASTE
Date: 2014.05.03
Place: Home, Taipei
Observer: Fang-Jui Chang

Pour away water like this?
Because drinking water is a daily necessity and also something that
people can do by simply turning on a tap, we are less likely to be aware
of where water comes from and what is involved in its processes. People
may therefore waste water as a matter of course but this waste is not just
about water, it is also the resources behind the complex purifying and
delivering procedure.

UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIOUR WHICH AFFECT OUR SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
RESOURCES AT THE WRONG PLACE

We are endlessly reminded to recycle everyday
We are endlessly reminded to recycle everyday
Wake up, go to school, go home, check the post.
Wake up, go to work, go home, check the post.
The daily post is often full of junk mail, so we...
Pick out the junk, and then recycle it.
Pick out the junk, and then recycle it.
What's the point of it?
Do many people seriously read such letters? Why do companies spend
so much on letters that people are likely to throw away unread? This is
wasteful and annoying. Information delivery need to be more resourceful
and user-friendly.

UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIOUR WHICH AFFECT OUR SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
11

WHICH ONE
DO YOU BELIEVE?
Date: 2014.05.011
Place: Taipei
Observer: Fang-Jui Chang

Do you believe in machines or humans?
Do you believe in machines or humans?
With the development of technology, there are more and more
convenient and precise tools for us to use.
We often use our smart phones and digital cameras to 'record'
something dramatic and trust in this technology to accurately record the
event, even though it can be also be used to digitally manipulate these
'facts' What then can we trust?

WHICH ONE DO YOU BELIEVE?

Just believe in what we believe.

SOCIAL ISSUES
IN THE CITY

14

ABOUT

Topics include: In relation to a city's evolution, the
dilemma of the improvement or deterioration of
hardware and software through the development
of technology, cities will increasingly face; the
important role communication and dialogue play
in the provision of local government services like
transportation and healthcare. The value delivery
from the public sector and the communication
between government and people are the issues
worthy of discussion. Starting little change from
the lives around us and then we can wish a more
friendly and efficient city.

Just take photos! I don't know anything!
I was woken up by the smell of asphalt and the sound from the
construction site. I wondered what was happening, so I went outside to
ask a policeman near the construction site but he told me , 'Just take
photos! I don't know anything!'
Me: 'Why didn't you inform the residents?'
Policeman: 'There is a signboard!'
Me: ' Why have I just noticed this today?'
Policeman, 'I don't know!'
This is one of the substantial/radical issues.

The Signboards

SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY

I checked every bulletin boards in the community, and I realised that
there were no information about the construction. However, only some
information about community activities and performances are provided.
As to the signboards, they appeared on the day when the construction
started. The ways of information should be more clear.

18

THE ELEGANCE OF INFORM AND CONSTRUCTION

The construction

SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY

I wonder how the construction workers evaluate the perfection of the
construction, so I went to ask one of the workers. And the worker told me
the process of making the road flat with his passion.

THE ELEGANCE OF INFORM AND CONSTRUCTION

19

In the other morning, the construction already been finished efficiently.
What people would like to know is just a powerful reason of why they are
doing it.

A PLACE
FOR NATURE
Date: 2014.04.25-27
Place: Guangfu S. Rd., Taipei

SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY

Observer: Fang-Jui Chang

A PLACE FOR NATURE

21

Where are the trees?
There were a few excavators, protesters appeared on a street in Taipei
on 25th April. Due to the non-transparency of information, there is no
agreement between the tree huggers and the people who try to remove
the trees. It will waste less social cost if they are able to have better
communication.

Now the Places for Trees are Covered with Cement

SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY

The shade trees on the pavement were removed in one day and the
places are covered with cement. Is this the best way of doing it?

A PLACE FOR NATURE

23

Is it possible to fix the pavement in a better way so that people can walk
through comfortably?

The Tree Hugger
Is it possible to build a better platform that has transparent information
or opportunity for the stakeholders to communicate better so that people
are less likely to build the conflict?
SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY
26